Free Fall (9 page)

Once the rest of the team arrived, Mark took charge of the meeting. In Roc’s absence, Mark was transformed, as if he’d come out from under Roc’s shadow for the first time. If Roc chose to leave The Agency in Mark’s command, I had little doubt it would go on just as before.

“The reason I called this meeting tonight is there was an undocumented death of what we believe to be a high ranking FLA member earlier today,” Mark said. “I’ve checked with the other agencies, but no one claims responsibility for the kill. My source tells me that the chatter among the other cells here in D.C. is that it was an independent—someone acting on their own.” He glanced around at the group. “Personally, I think he’s either lying or he’s been deliberately fed some incorrect information. After all, as far as I know, there are no independents working this area.”

“Do we know the identity of the person killed yet?” Stevie asked. “Was he close to Jeremiah Silvers? Maybe someone was challenging Silvers’ power. How firm is Jeremiah’s control?”

“No one seems to know for certain, but as far as Jeremiah Silvers being in control, I don’t think anyone within the FLA would dare challenge him. So we need to turn up the heat some more. Find out what’s going on and soon—before this thing blows up in our faces.” Mark looked directly at me. He was counting on the document to provide some key piece of information.

Once I left the meeting, I drove in the direction of the last place I’d seen my brother. If I didn’t find Justin tonight there was absolutely nothing I could do to help him.

I waited there for hours without any contact. I was almost ready to give up when he appeared out of nowhere.

“Rainie.” The sound of my name could have been only a whisper, but in the stillness around us, it sounded like a shout.

“You shouldn’t have come here. I told you not to contact me again. It’s too dangerous.” Even as he said the words, my brother moved closer.

I stood before him, looking at the man who was nothing like the boy of seventeen that I remembered. In his eyes, I saw the coldness that depicted a killer. Everything I’d read about my brother was true.

But he was still my brother. Some of the kid I’d loved so much in the past must still be there somewhere. We were family after all.

“Can I touch you?” I asked tentatively. Now that I was face to face with him, I wasn’t sure how to react. I was on the opposite end of the law from Justin.

“Yes.”

I went into his arms after a moment’s hesitation. It felt odd accepting Justin as my brother, especially after realizing who he was. But we were both trying so hard. Justin was being very careful not to get too close to me. After all, this reunion had been a long time coming. I could almost see Mom and Dad smiling at me now.

My brother’s hand came in contact with my weapon and he froze.

“It’s okay. It’s only there as a precaution. I wasn’t sure…” I left the rest of the sentence unsaid. Justin knew who I was. There was no need for explanation.

He pulled back a little, his fingers touching my face. I hadn’t realized until that moment that I was crying. My tears took us both by surprise.

“Rainie, don’t cry. Please, don’t.” Justin brushed my tears away. I could tell that it had been a long time since he’d touched another human the way he touched me.

“Can you stay with me for a little while?” I asked softly. “Please, please don’t leave just yet.”

He let me go as if our very contact hurt. But then, maybe it was just the reminders of what he’d once had. The family he’d been part of.

“We should find some place safer than this. It’s too public. There are those from both sides watching us. You know that, don’t you, Rainie?”

I followed him inside an abandoned building where we found a couple of old chairs strewn around.

For a long time, neither of us knew what to say to each other. We listened to the sounds of the city outside the store’s crumbling walls.

“You know about Mom and Dad?”

He nodded. I had to ask the question I didn’t want to ask.

“Did you have anything to do with their deaths, Justin?”

The expression on my brother’s face was what hurt most of all. “No. No, of course not. How could you think that I would, Rainie?”

I drew in a shaky breath and searched his face. “I don’t really know you anymore, do I? What happened to you? How did you become a part of it? How could you do those horrible things? How could you do that to them—to their memory? Especially knowing everything Dad stood for.”

Justin grew edgy. He glanced around the building as if expecting trouble. “I won’t tell you details, Rainie. I can’t. They’d kill me if they knew I was talking to you right now. All I can say is you don’t understand everything.”

“No? What is it that I don’t understand…Jeremiah?” My brother was surprised at the mention of that name. But it was enough to know I’d been right. He was Jeremiah Silvers.

He watched me with a cautious look on his face. “So you know,” he said.

“I know everything. All about you and the FLA. Trust me, Justin, everything’s been very well-documented. We’ve had you under surveillance for a long time now.”

“And you think you know everything, is that it, Rainie? You’ve read some information given to you by the Bureau’s higher-ups and you think you know all about me.”

“Are you saying it’s not true?” When he merely watched me with those dead eyes, I lost it. “Tell me the fucking truth, Justin. Tell me that you aren’t the monster I’ve read about in those reports. Tell me how my brother, the boy who was so loving as a kid, could turn into the emotionless killer you are right now.” When he still didn’t answer, I added wearily, “Tell me you weren’t responsible for any of those things and I’ll try and help you. But you have to be honest with me. Tell me everything.”

He was silent for so long that I believed he wouldn’t answer me at all.

“I can’t tell you anything,” he said, shaking his head and there was a sadness in his eyes.

“You know they never stopped looking for you. They never gave up hope of finding you and bringing you back home again. It was all they lived for, for so long. They gave up so much of their life for you, Justin. I think you owe them something. I want to know how you could do that to them.”

Justin sat silent and unyielding, those empty eyes giving nothing away.

“Damn it, Justin, talk to me. I think after all this time I’m entitled to some answers.” I got to my feet and paced the room.

“What good would it do? Would it change anything? I am who I am. Don’t you see that? I can’t change for you and I can’t take back any of the things I’ve done. And neither can you. Give it up. Stop looking for revenge for their deaths. You’ll end up chasing ghosts forever if you do.”

I stopped walking and faced him. “That’s bullshit. You’re just avoiding accepting responsibility for your part in their deaths. It was because of you that they went to that town in North Carolina in the first place. But you’re right about one thing, we can’t change who we are. And I have a responsibility to my superiors to bring you in, Jeremiah. So, either you can talk to me now or you can talk to my superiors. I don’t care which it is anymore.”

Justin’s expression turned hard. “So that’s the way it is. Well, I guess I’m not surprised. You are Bureau, after all. But you don’t know the whole truth, Rainie. No matter what you’ve read.”

“What are you saying? That you’re not responsible for the things you’re being accused of? Then who? Doren?”

At the mention of Doren’s name, my brother got to his feet and came toward me.

I reached for my weapon out of instinct because I wasn’t sure of him. He froze after a few steps, holding his hands up. He gave a faltering smile, leaving me with the impression he wasn’t sure whether I would actually fire or not.

“Are you going to shoot me, Rainie? You’re going to kill your own brother?” His words sounded confident but his gaze never left the weapon in my hand. “Can you shoot an unarmed man?”

“If I have to, yes. Without blinking an eye. So don’t push me, Justin. Family or not, you’re still working for the wrong side and I have an obligation to bring you in.”

“You know I’m a dead man if you do, don’t you? By either my team or yours, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll never walk out of that interrogation room alive.”

“Then answer my questions. Sit down.” I was surprised at the calmness in my voice. I’d waited a long time for this moment. All the things I wanted to ask him ran through my mind as Justin took his seat again. He still held his hands in the air and I lowered the gun but I didn’t put it away. I needed him to believe I was serious. Even if I wasn’t sure.

“I won’t talk about Doren. All you need to know is that you are to stay away from him.”

“Uh-uh? That’s not exactly cooperating, is it? Why should I take your word for that? Why should I listen to you at all?”

“Rainie, I can’t talk about it. Please, you just have to trust me on this,” he said with more emotion than I’d seen from him up until this point. “He has people everywhere. He’s watching me, you, and God only knows what he’s planning. Just know that everything isn’t always as it seems. Don’t trust him. Get out of this stupid game while you still can. Don’t pursue this revenge any further. Don’t let Doren near you. That’s all I can tell you.”

“Justin, damn it, that won’t do. I need to know how you’re involved in this and if you’re not in charge, then who is? I need names and dates. I need more to go on than mere speculation.” I feared he would guess the truth and simply walk away from me forever. I’d been too young when Justin disappeared. I didn’t really know what to expect from this person before me.

“Someone was killed recently. Who was he? What was his connection in the group? Who killed him?”

“Why don’t you ask yourself where your husband is tonight?” he said.

For a long time, I couldn’t get any words out. “My husband? What are you talking about? How did you…”

“I know all about your relationship with Roc Branson, Rainie.” I stared at him while I processed what he’d said. “So why don’t you ask yourself where he is tonight? And more importantly, where is Doren Alderees?”

My mind reeled with the possibilities. Was Justin trying to tell me Roc might be the independent responsible for taking the life of the FLA operative? The stubborn expression in his eyes told me I would be wasting my time continuing down this path of questioning.

“I know about the plot, Justin.” I waited for his reaction.

“What plot?” he asked without emotion, but there was just enough hesitation in his voice to let me know he was bluffing.

“We have the document. It’s only a matter of time before we figure out the rest. You need to come clean and tell me everything.”

Justin’s eyes grew large.

“It is my job after all—understanding terrorist threats,” I said. “Did you really think I wouldn’t understand the language?”

“So you know. I should have realized Dad would teach you as well. He loved that language.” Justin smiled. “What are you going to do with it? You haven’t told your superiors, otherwise you wouldn’t be here with me right now, would you, Rainie?”

I thought about lying but I found I couldn’t return the favor. I couldn’t lie to my brother, not even after realizing what he had become. Not because of Justin, but because of my parents.

“Something is about to take place, isn’t it? There’s an attack planned. I need the details.”

“Oh, Rainie, you are so misled. I can’t help you. I’m not in charge. You’re being deceived by the people closest to you.” He got to his feet.

I raised the gun again. “What are you talking about? What do you know about Roc?”

“I think you know what I’m talking about. You’ve let your emotions blind you to the truth. Watch what you’re doing, little sister. Stop trusting the Bureau and the government so much. Especially the ones closest to you.”

I was stunned. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t believe what Justin alluded to.

“That’s not true! Roc’s not involved in any of this.”

“Rainie, think about it. Do you really think no one from the Bureau or your Agency has managed to uncover the truth about our connection so far? Grow up. Open your eyes. Of course he knows. He’s using you. And if he knows the truth, do you really think he would allow you to continue to remain in the position you hold without having you watched every second of the day?” Justin reached my side, ignoring the gun entirely. He’d seen me waver.

In a flat tone I said, “I don’t believe you.”

Justin smiled with compassion. “Get out while you still can. Before you get in too deep to escape. Before they force you to do something you can’t live with, Rainie.” At my stunned expression, Justin took me in his arms once more.

“You’ll be okay. There’s so much more I want to say to you, but I can’t. At least not now. I’ll find you again. In the meantime, don’t let them get you involved in this. Get out of this game while you still can, because it will only end up costing you your life if you don’t.”

I leveled the gun at his chest. “Stop. That’s far enough, Justin. Don’t try to escape.”

But my brother had stopped listening to me. He walked quickly over to the back entrance of the storefront before facing me. “I’ll do what I can to stop what’s in the works. You have my word on that, but I can’t do it behind bars. I’m leaving and you’re going to let me because you don’t have a choice. You would never hurt me. Even if you really believed all those things you’ve been fed about me.” He opened the door and stepped outside, turning back to me one last time. “Watch your back, Rainie. Your life’s on the line as well.”

“Justin,” I called out to him but there was only silence. I ran to the door leading out to a dark alley but I was too late. Justin was gone.

* * * *

The second I reached the apartment, I locked all the doors and windows. I couldn’t stop shivering. I didn’t know who to trust anymore. I reread the document a thousand times, hoping I’d missed something, but found no further information in it. I logged onto the Free America website and searched for hours without any luck. Something was missing. The document predicted an inevitable attack but there had to be more. Somewhere there had to be more.