The Gambit (56 page)

“Obviously not,” Natasha chimed in.

“I did, I get it—”

“No, you
don’t
,” Viktor cut me off, and he pressed his index finger against my chest. “I told you, Owen, you are like fresh air to a dying flame.
You
are who they chose to revive their plan.
I
was the beginning, and
you
are the end. We aren’t that different after all.”

“We are different,” I countered. “Because I am not afraid to show my face to the world and tell them the truth. I could never hide for as long as you have.”

“What you want to do tomorrow, it’s not courageous. Can’t you see? If you show your face on that newscast you will be walking straight into the lion’s den. They will win! You will be giving them
exactly
what they want!”

“Fuck you, Viktor! If I am going to be in handcuffs one way or another, I want to keep my dignity. I don’t want everything I did with Cole for our party to be in vain! I
want
the world to know I am innocent! If Rachel doesn’t get her story, then there won’t be any proof. There will be no way for me to speak up then, when I am rotting away in some maximum security prison.”

His eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, and his face was beet red.

“Don’t you see what I am trying to say to you, Owen? All you are is a gambit to them! You are a fucking
sacrifice!
You are just a pawn and Veronica is the queen. If you go through with your plan, I promise you,
they
will win. Don’t be their gambit. Don’t give yourself up so easily.”

My eye twitched, and I chewed on the inside of my bottom lip to keep calm as I digested his words. He said I was a
sacrifice
…and
that
word, gave me a chill that ran up the entire length of my spine. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what he said was true, but I also knew my points were valid, regardless of the risk. Rachel could write a story whether or not I was with her or in a jail cell. Perhaps then, she would be out of the spotlight. Something in my gut told me that I
had
to go with Grey’s plan. I wanted to keep my integrity intact.

I thought I heard Rachel crying. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Thank you, Viktor, for spelling it out so clearly to me. I understand what you are saying, but I need to stick with Grey’s plan. You all can focus on the story. I will do what I need to do to preserve my party. I have to wake people up enough before it’s too late.”

Viktor shook his head side to side in disappointment.

“Fine,” he said flatly. “You stay here. Rachel, Natasha, and I will go get Grey and whatever her name is from the hotel. When we get back, Rachel, can you call your godfather?”

My phone vibrated violently, skidding across the nightstand. Groggy and disoriented, I slapped my hand blindly to grab it. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light of my iPhone screen.

Restricted

I glanced over at my alarm clock—11:25. Was it
her?

“Hello,” I answered in a whisper.

“Hey. It’s me.”

I sat up in my bed wide awake and alert. We hadn’t talked in days. I had been waiting to hear from her, and I thought about it every minute of the day.

“Thank God you finally called. I was getting worried.”

“I could imagine…” She mumbled.

“I can’t believe he escaped. In my thirty years in this industry, I have never seen anything like it.”

“I believe it.”

There was a pause.

“So, what made you call?” I asked.

“I found another piece of the puzzle.”

My pulse quickened from her words.

“I found two,” I added.

“Really?” her voice jumped up in pitch.

“Yes, one was from my son. Do you remember him?”

“Stefan, right?”

I smiled at how keen her memory was.

“Yes. I am surprised you remember.”

“Women remember everything. You should know that by now,” she teased.

“Indeed, I do,” I chuckled.

“So, what was it he figured out?”

“I can’t talk about it.” I mumbled. “You know, just in case.”

“Mhmm.”

“Just know it is a very important piece. What about yours?”

“It is a massive piece. Something that will contribute to at least half of the story. The situation I was just thrown into is hard to believe that it even happened. It feels surreal.”

For a moment, she sounded distant…almost detached.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m okay, I guess.”

“You
guess?
”

“You-know-who is being stubborn, and there is nothing I can do about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t say exactly, but be sure to have the news on. I know it’s a Saturday, so if you’re not at work, at least put it on at home. Tell your journalists on the floor to have it on in the office.”

Her statement intrigued me. I hadn’t a clue what she was hinting at.

“They always do. I make sure they do.”

“Good,” she said. “So, how do I go about getting you this information?”

“Wait until tomorrow. Then, call the office. They will get you transferred to the secure line, and I’ll give you what you need to fax it to me.”

“Sounds good,” she said. There was a somber note in her voice that I couldn’t put my finger on. It probably wasn’t worth bringing up.

“Please be careful out there,” I said.

“I will try my best,” she responded flatly, and the call ended.

Grey and Briana were finally up to speed. I tried to imagine their reactions when Rachel, Viktor Ivankov, and his unnervingly quiet counterpart, Natasha, showed up to the hotel room. Grey was sitting in the corner of the room with Natasha, chatting away. I guess she was more comfortable talking to someone who knew her line of work. Briana was passed out on the sofa. She had driven all day and immediately went off to assist Grey upon our arrival in Atlanta.

Rachel wasn’t even in the room. She wouldn’t make eye contact with me, and it was driving me absolutely crazy. I knew I had said touchy words. I shouldn’t have let them come out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reverse time. If I had that ability, I wouldn’t have been in the situation I was in right now. I would be with Cole at some bar, discussing our plans for election night.

No—all of that was gone. False memories that
could
have been reality. Now, they were solely wistful thoughts. Viktor told me that there was a bar above us. We were in the basement. The owner was in on it with Viktor and gave him a place to hide out whenever he was in town. Rachel couldn’t show her face, just like me. I wondered where she went. She couldn’t have gone into the bar. I stood up and walked to the steps that led out of the basement.

“Where are you going?” Viktor called from behind me.

“To get some fresh air,” I answered.

He stared at me quizzically.

“Be careful,” he advised, and I walked out of the basement. The air was frigid, and I bundled up tight in my jacket. I glanced around the alleyway—nothing. Where had she gone? I did a three-sixty to search for any signs of where she might have been.

Then, I found it. It was a metal emergency ladder that ran up the side of the bar. Maybe she really did want to be alone. The roof would have been ideal for that. I placed a shaky foot on the rusty rung and began to climb—it was at least fifteen to twenty feet I had to scale. When I reached the top, I threw my leg over the edge and saw Rachel standing against the opposite side of the roof. She had her arms against her sides, with her hands tucked in her jacket pockets. The chilly Georgia weather was the complete opposite of what we were prepared for. Rachel’s short-shorts, t-shirt, and Dolphins ball cap weren’t going to cut it. Briana purchased her a pea coat and some pants. I slowly walked up beside her. She didn’t even acknowledge that I was there. She just shivered and looked out at the Atlanta skyline.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured.

I heard her exhale. She didn’t respond.

“I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, Rachel. I promise.”

My words were met with silence. She wasn’t budging.

I backed off for a moment and pondered my next statement.

“Rachel—”

“I don’t want an apology,” she snapped, spinning around to face me. “I want to know
why?
Why did you just use the fact that I am in love with you against me?”

I opened my mouth to speak.

“In front of everyone! Owen, do you know how badly that hurt? Do you know how hard it was to stop myself from bursting into tears down there? Is that my punishment for caring about you? I wanted you to stay, and now I got what I wanted, and it’s more than I could ever swallow. I’m going to lose you again, this time in handcuffs! Please, Owen, don’t go along with Grey’s plan. I have a bad feeling, and I just want you to be safe. I want to be by your side, so don’t push me away! You told me you
love
me—”

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a firm embrace. She started sobbing with her head on my chest.

“I do love you…I do,” I consoled, rubbing her back. “I am sorry, Rachel.”