But he’s smart because I’ve been in his computer for months and never came across anything like this. So far, this Luna woman seemed to be the one doing most of the legwork, but I have no doubt he’s involved. Well, I’ll learn more once I enmesh myself, which because of this I might have to do sooner. At least I know how I’m going to bring one of my prey down.
I opened my eyes to see Lancelot looking up at me.
“What’re you doing?”
“Nothing, you sleeping here? Go to your bed.”
“I came in here to tell you something, but you were so caught up in whatever you were doing you didn’t even hear me come in.”
“What is it? What did you need to tell me?”
“It wasn’t important; it can wait. Um, Unc’s not going to get himself into anything, is he?”
“Of course not, didn’t he tell us not to worry?
MEMNON-TRACK
What’s he still doing up? What time is it in New Hampshire anyway? I sat down to answer his SOS while wondering what it could be about. It can’t be that he needs my help with a hack; he’s one of the best, then again, anything is possible. And it would at least get me out of dealing with the craziness that’s going on around here.
I’ve been knee-deep in weddings and baby scientists, and who knows what else for the better part of a week I could do with a break. Though I’m pretty sure whatever this is won’t be easy. He wouldn’t reach out unless it was bad, but I couldn’t think of anything he’d need my help with, anything he couldn’t do himself.
If it was just a hack, he would’ve gone about it another way, so what could it be? Was he in some sort of trouble? The thought jarred me for a second. Of all the people I’ve worked with doing this over the years, Nemesis is right up there with my faves. Had we met in person, I have no doubt we would’ve been friends; he has that vibe about him.
Maybe it was his story, the one he’d told me long ago in a moment of weakness. Outside of what we do, his story is one of the things that have stuck with me and maybe the reason why I feel an attachment. I’m sure he remembers telling me, but since that day, I’m the only one of the two of us to ever bring it up.
It’s almost like he wished he’d never told me, and I guess I can see why. A kid that age, the age we’d been back then, wanting to kill his dad wasn’t exactly hair raising. What teen doesn’t mouth off at some point or another about wanting to do away with their parents? But I knew then, as I do now, that he’d been serious.
He probably didn’t realize that his story had stuck with me and that it was all I could do sometimes not to go digging. But he never brought it up again, except for a slip up here and there when I caught him off guard. But as we grew older, he became more stoic, more careful with what he shared.
Putting all of that aside, Nem is not the type to ask for help, so this must be serious.
“I’m here, brother; talk to me.”
GIANNA
It’s almost time to get up for school, and I’ve barely slept a wink all night. There’s definitely something going on with Gabriel, and it has nothing to do with him finding his grandfather. Had that been the case, he’d have gone back to being the sweet, attentive boy I fell in love with instead of the moody teenager who left here last night.
I’m trying to keep a brave face on about things, but the hits just keep on coming, and I don’t know which way is up. Dad had killed Becky in a fit of rage and was looking at spending time behind bars. It’s looking more and more like I’ll be moving out of state for my last year of high school, leaving the few friends I’d made behind.
Once again, I’ll be on my own, but at least, if that does happen, I have the option of online classes like that’s my biggest worry. The thing that’s kept me up all night. If just the thought of moving that far away from Gabriel leaves me cold, imagine how I’d feel if he broke up with me, and that’s exactly where I think we’re headed.
I can’t keep fooling myself any longer, can’t keep closing my eyes to the truth. If I'd had any doubts before about him leaving me, his actions last night put them to bed. He barely even looked at me, and for the first time since we met or since we became a thing, rather, he’d walked away without so much as a handshake.
I sat up in bed as nausea struck and panic started to set in. I’m so confused I haven’t even been able to deal with the fact that both Becky and Victoria were gone and what that meant. My tormentors were no more, but instead of celebrating, I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now it’s looking more and more like it has.
GABRIEL
After sending him off to bed, I went back to the computer where Memnon’s message was waiting for me. I didn’t expect him to get back to me this soon, late as it was, but I appreciated it. The sooner I enlist his help, the sooner I can start the process of setting my plans in motion. There was just one thing bothering me now, though, something I hadn’t thought of when I messaged him earlier.
Because of what he knows about my past, from that one little slip up so long ago, I have to be careful how much info I share with him so that he doesn’t discover my identity. So now I’m faced with the question of how much I should tell him without giving too much away.
He already knew about the martial arts competition, but I’d felt safe sharing that much because, luckily, my participation and placement weren’t publicized and won't be ever. Not unless I wanted it to be. I didn’t do it for any glory; it was just something I wanted to do for my own satisfaction, so whereas most wanted their name in lights with all the accolades, I didn’t, so I chose anonymity.
That’s the only reason I’d had no issue telling him about something so personal. As I said, he and I had grown close over the years through our online activities, so some things were just easy to share. To date, he’s the only one from the organization that knew more about me than my handle.
Still, I am a bit hesitant to get him even more involved in my life. It wouldn’t be hard for someone with his intelligence and wherewithal to start putting the puzzle together if I gave him too many pieces, even if some were still missing. In other words, I’d better be damn careful going forward with what I share with him, or I’ll be exposing myself.
But it can’t be helped this time. Not with something like this. I know for a fact that he knows more about this stuff than most, and time is of the essence. If what I suspect is true, then there may be children in danger as we speak. There’s no question that helping them trumps my need for vengeance, not that I’m giving it up or that I even could. But now, I need to traverse this minefield even more carefully.
I thought and rethought what I was going to say to him. Had this not crossed the line into my personal shit, there would be no need for subterfuge, but one wrong move…. No, it doesn’t matter. I’m not monster enough to have seen this shit and keep silent. There’s nothing stopping me from dealing with both situations, ergo the reason I’d reached out to Memnon in the first place.
I started typing, knowing that he was there waiting. Don’t ask me how I knew; it’s just a sense I have of the person he is. He’s always struck me as the type to go above and beyond, especially if he knew he was needed. “Hey brother, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Quick question, I’ve never handled this side of things, but you do. How do you go about setting up a sting for a trafficking ring?”