Slow Burn(112)

    “Shut up,” said Knox. “I’ve got a gun to your head, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

    French smiled. “You’re adorable, Knox. Very sweet in your confident act. You think you’ll be able to keep it up, though? You’re just a coward, really, aren’t you? You knew about the order to kill Beth, and you did nothing. And from what I understand, you didn’t manage to save her when you left on your last mission either. You aren’t very reliable, are you?”

    Knox clenched his teeth. “Listen up, you bitch.”

    “Don’t,” said Griffin. “It’s what she wants.”

    “Leigh,” said my father, “tell Knox that I’m not part of this.”

    Knox swung the gun around to face my father. “That’s the thing, Thorn, you are. You helped establish this place. You ran it. You didn’t do anything to make it better.”

    French moved quickly, sweeping Knox’s feet out from under him.

    He stumbled. The gun went off. Knox fell into the wall, scattering “stage two” needles everywhere.

    French wrenched the gun from his hands. “How convenient. A gun.”

    “Damn it,” said Knox, getting to his feet.

    French gestured with the gun. “All of you in that corner, please.”

    Griffin, Knox, and I did as she said.

    “You too, Thorn,” she said.

    He pursed his lips. “But French, you and I are—”

    “Move,” she said.

    My father joined us.

    “Now,” said French, “I’ve got to figure out what to do with all of you. You’re all very interesting subjects, and I’m sure I’d have a lot of fun getting inside your heads, but I don’t know if that would be wise.”

    Knox nudged Griffin and me. We looked down. He had one of the “stage two” needles in his hand. He must have gotten it when he knocked them off the wall.

    “I just want you all to know,” she said, “that your lives won’t be given in vain. You’ll be helping me to set up my new rule here at Operation Wraith, and you’ll be dying for a good cause.”

    “Shut up,” yelled Knox, brandishing the needle. He dove for her.

    French shot him.

    He landed on her, driving the needle into her skin. Then his body went still. Beneath him, French wasn’t moving.

    “Oh my,” said my father.

    I took a deep breath. Knox would be okay. He’d only gone dark.

    Griffin knelt down and picked up the gun. He pointed it at my dad. “Frank, what did he give her?”

    “Very concentrated,” said my father. “Full amnesia, I’m afraid. She’ll be unconscious for a few hours. When she wakes up, she won’t even know her name.”

    I grabbed another of the syringes. “Sounds good.” I advanced on my father.     “Wait,” he said. “What are you doing, Leigh? I did everything for you.”

    “You killed people for money, dad,” I said. “You would have had Griffin killed. And you wanted to make me a killer.”

    “Please,” he said. “I’m your father.”

    “You’re a terrible father,” I said. I pushed the needle into his neck.

    His eyes rolled back up in his head, and he slumped to the floor, lifeless.

    Griffin was watching me.

    I turned to him. “I had to do it.”

    He nodded. “You did.” He pointed the gun at French. “Move Knox out of the way.”

    “Wait,” I said. “She’s not going to remember anything.”

    Griffin’s jaw twitched. “She deserves to die.”

    “You don’t want to kill, though, do you, Griffin?”

    He wavered a little.

    “She’ll have amnesia. She’ll be someone else.”

    He took a deep breath. “Okay.” He looked at me. “For you, doll. For you, she lives.” He bent down and hoisted Knox over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”





Chapter Twenty