Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Christ. The man is insane.” Jericho hits pause and goes to click the attachment. “Wait. It could be a virus.”
“I don’t think so.” He opens it and we both recognize the file. It’s Councilor Augustus’s ledger. All the names right there in black and white going back three generations.
“Fuck.”
Jericho hits play again. “Fear not,” Antoine continues. “Justice shall be served. The thief has been tried and the sentence called for shall be carried out as per the dictates of our great Tribunal.”
There’s a pause here and a photo fills the screen.
Jericho peers close. “Isn’t that the block they have on display at the London Tower?”
“Could be the replica housed at the Boston compound,” I fill in, my heart pounding because I understand fully Girard’s intention. His plan all along. I care nothing for the Councilor. Hell, Girard is owed his due and I shouldn’t be surprised at his method, but the barbarian nature of it still turns my stomach.
The video cuts back to Antoine. “I urge you, citizens of our once-great Society, to bring those other criminals to justice. Avenge your loved ones as I shall avenge us all. One exception will be made to the rules of The Tribunal. Councilor Augustus’s sentence shall be carried out on a live stream. Do we not all deserve to see this criminal punished, after all? Stay tuned to witness the toppling of the usurper king.”
The video ends and Jericho shuts the lid of the laptop.
“This explains why the Councilor took the laptop. It must have been one of Girard’s soldiers who infiltrated the Councilor’s guard and found the drive at the house,” I say.
My phone rings. It’s a number I don’t recognize. I answer and am surprised to hear Dex.
“Ezekiel? They’re gone.”
“Dex? Is that you?” I put the call on speaker so Jericho can hear.
“They took my phone. Knocked me out with my own fucking gun. Crew was knocked out too. Some sort of sedative. I see a discarded syringe.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“We were on the runway, minutes from taking off when Girard and his men blocked the plane. He was tipped off. Blue tipped them off.”
“What?”
“You heard me. It was Blue.”
“Where is she?”
“She handed him the flash drive, Ezekiel. She had it all along.”
I think about this, remembering how antsy she was on the drive to the airport. Had she hidden it somewhere and Augustus’s men never found it? Did she take it and call Girard when I told her I was putting her on a plane out of town?
“Where did he take her?” I ask sounding somehow calm.
“I don’t know. My car’s here. I’ll head to Jericho’s,” Dex says, disconnecting the call.
“They’re at Augustus’s house. At least, that’s where the block is. Do you remember it from Robbie’s photos?” Jericho asks me.
I look closer and it makes sense.
“I’m pretty sure I know what he’s planning,” he says.
“And he has Blue. Why the hell would she give him the flash drive? He’s as dangerous as Augustus,” Jericho asks.
“To save me. Save us,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m going to get her.”
“I’ll get the keys,” Jericho says and grabs his jacket off a hanger on the back of the door.
“No, Jericho. I’ll finish this. I brought this trouble to your doorstep. I won’t have you hurt on my account.”
Jericho puts a hand on my shoulder. “I sometimes don’t know if you hear a word I say. You’re my brother. I’m not leaving you on your own again, not when you need me. Hear that for fuck’s sake.”
We study one another and finally, I nod. “I’ll drive.”
“Just a minute,” Jericho says and before we go, he opens the closet door and unlocks a safe. From inside, he retrieves a Glock. He checks the magazine. “Do you need one?”
“I have one in the SUV.”
For the second time that day, I drive to Augustus’s house.
26
BLUE
“And they say every man has just fifteen minutes of fame!” Girard calls out, thrilled with himself.
I turn from the huge screen of the television on which Trae had projected the video to the man beside me. Stunned, I try to process what I just saw. If I had any questions about the sanity of the man with whom I’ve aligned myself, they’re wiped out. Antoine Girard is insane. Gone mad with his obsession, his single purpose of over twenty-five years.
He will dismember Councilor Augustus. I have no doubt of that. But will he do more? Will he kill him?
“Champagne!” Girard calls out and someone pops a cork. Glasses are poured and Girard hands me one.
I take it absently, watch him drink his. From beyond him and through the tall floor to ceiling windows that bracket the front door, I watch a procession of black vans with tinted windows make their way to the guest house. There are so many that they make me think of marching ants.