The Revenge by Tijan

Bright made a growling sound.

Wilson answered, almost sounding bored. “Him. The driver, who we’re still identifying. And Chrissy Hayes.”

This told me three more things. One: Wilson was not alarmed. He would’ve been, if their heads were on the chopping block. Two: that meant they were safe, but Bright was frustrated. She didn’t want me to ask these questions, and she didn’t want to give me the answers. And finally, Wilson was answering, so that meant either Wilson was doing a damn good job at playing the good cop or they were ordered to give me information.

They needed me.

That’s the only scenario that could be at play here.

That gave me cards to play. That gave me some power.

Now I asked, because I needed to, “Where’s Chrissy?”

Bright answered this one, her features softening. “She’s in medical. Once she’s cleared, and we get her statement, she can be reunited with her daughter.”

My teeth ground together.

Her pity told me she felt bad for Chrissy, which meant Chrissy hadn’t been in good shape when they found her.

“I’m assuming she’s been questioned.” I peered more directly at Bright. “What was her state?”

Bright hesitated. “She doesn’t remember a lot, and the psych doctor advised against pushing her. As for physical, she’d lost weight. She’d been traumatized, but she was coherent when we found her. She could walk and talk.” Another hesitation. Her eyebrows pinched. She flattened her lips together before she nodded at my twin. “She wasn’t scared of him.”

I looked toward him, and his head had raised. It wasn’t all the way up, but it was halfway up. He was listening.

He shouldn’t be able to hear us.

My eyes narrowed back at Bright. “How do you know?”

“There was an incident. We were taking him out and had to pause because a van was going down the street. We held him back. Word did not get communicated to her team and they brought her down the stairs from where they were keeping her. They looked at each other, and her handlers said she didn’t react.”

“Was she in shock? She didn’t know what she was seeing.”

“No. She said his name.”

His name?

I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.

“There was no fear. Her body didn’t lock up. One agent had been holding her pulse, it was just habit, and he said there was no spike. How she said his name, it was as if she was worried about him.”

I turned to inspect my twin once more.

His head was back down.

They wouldn’t get anything from him. He was good. Too good. And there were things happening I didn’t know, and I needed to know. So, weighing the pros and cons, I decided to pull my card.

“I want time with him.”

Both agents reacted. Bright’s head snapped around to me, her eyes wide and unbelieving. And I heard Wilson’s swift intake of breath.

“No.” Bright shook her head.

“Yes.” I leaned toward her. Before she could make more protests, I laid out my argument. “You will get nothing from him.” They didn’t know he could hear us, but I did, and so this message was twofold. I wanted him to know what I knew, and then I would go from there. “I had him before.”

Neither knew.

I felt the tension fill the air.

They were not happy to hear that.

I kept on. “I did not know about him until he showed up at my apartment. He broke in. We caught him, but he let us take him. He was testing us. He was testing me. We waited to question him. I wanted to see Calhoun’s reaction to his disappearance because all three of us know that he came from Calhoun. There is no other explanation for his sudden appearance and his identity not being known before now. Once I ascertained what I needed to know, I went in. The questioning lasted five minutes, and he was gone. He’s remained hidden until his move on Bailey. He had Chrissy Hayes in his possession. He’s good, and you all know it. You won’t get anything from him.” Now was my card. “But I will. Let me talk to him.”

“No!”

I looked at Wilson. His gaze was wide and alarmed. He was skirting from Bright to myself, and back again.

“Wilson?”

He hesitated.

Bright turned to him, her arms folded over her chest. “No, Wilson. No. No way.”

His phone buzzed.

Wilson pulled it out.

Bright stepped toward him, her hand outstretched. “Don’t answer that. We can’t let them near each other. Not any more than this.”

I studied Bright, hearing her wording: “Them.” “Near each other.” She spoke as if … I frowned. She was talking as if we were together? A team? Or was it the twin thing? Did she believe in twins?

Was she a twin?

But he answered. “Wilson.” He waited, listening. It wasn’t a long call. He sighed, hanging up, and looked at me.

I saw the capitulation at the same time Bright started sputtering, “No!”

I smiled.

Wilson nodded behind me. “Go ahead.”

I hesitated for just a second.

Chrissy Hayes wasn’t scared of him. I knew Bailey’s mother enough to know this was not enough time for her to be brainwashed, so if Chrissy wasn’t scared, that gave me hope.

The second was up.