Chapter 22

By the time I reached the car, the burger that was once in Gabe’s hand had completely disappeared, but the smile on his face had not.  It was too bad that I didn’t feel like smiling back.  Finding out that your life was a lie, that the one person you thought you could trust had betrayed you, it left little to be happy about.  Mitch had lied to me, he had taken me from my parents, but what annoyed me the most is that I was being played.  He was using me to do his dirty work, but I was done.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’d continue the mission, but when it came down to making decisions, I would no longer wait for Mitch’s signal.  I was rogue.

This time, I could feel a reluctant smile pull at my lips.  Rogue was a term used for only the traitors to Mitch’s cause.  In the beginning, I had thought them all dishonorable people, those who tried to leave Mitch’s band of followers.  They had only tried.  There were very few, that I knew of, who had made it out alive.  Four to be exact, and three were Gabe, Hodge, and Caroline, all people who I had met on this last case.  There was one left though.

My grip on my phone tightened.  I could call him, and he would answer.  The man owed me one.  He would be a great asset, one that Mitch wouldn’t dream I would call in.  My thumb grazed the side of the phone, and before I could think of my decision, I flipped it open.  I held the number nine down, my heart beating quickly as the number automatically popped onto the screen.

“Dee,” Gabe said in an odd tone, but I turned my back on him as I pressed the phone to my ear.  Now wasn’t the time for explanations; it was the time for retribution.

“Sweetie,” a low voice answered with a warm tone.

I rolled my eyes at the man while shifting more comfortably on my feet.  “George.”

He made a muffled noise, and I had a feeling that he had just shooed a couple people from the room before he continued talking.  “Calling in that favor?  To be honest, I thought it would have happened sooner.”

“You know I’m a hold out,” I joked while glancing over my shoulder at a frowning Gabe, “but I am calling in that favor.  Better late than never, right?”

“Without the late times, there would have been a never,” he whispered and this time, I let out a full laugh.

Shaking my head, I wished that I had video conferenced George.  It was always easier to get passed his joking words when I could see the true emotions flashing in his eyes.  “Like I said, better late than never.”

A sigh flew from the other end of the line.  “If you’re not going to indulge me in a quick witted comeback, tell me your favor.  I’ll be happy to finally have this debt off my back.”

I pouted, an expression I knew he wouldn’t be able to see, but would be able to hear in my next words.  “I’m a burden?”

It was his turn to laugh.  “Never, Sweetie, but you are killing me with suspense.  What could cause you to call me after all these years?”

“It’s been a year, George.”

“One year, three months, and six days,” he countered.

If he were here now, I would have smacked him on the shoulder for always having to be right.  As it was, the best I could do was quit the pleasantries and tell him what I needed. “It’s Mitch—”

“I won’t help Mitch, even for you, Sweetie,” he interrupted in a hard tone.

“Come on, George.  Do you think I’d honestly ask that of you?  It’s just—I believe you.”  I whispered the last part and was happy that I did when I heard his surprised intake of air. 

He cleared his throat, and I knew he was trying to clear his voice.  “What happened?  If you believe me, something had to happen.  Are you okay?  I can be at your location in twenty minutes.  My men in twenty seconds.”

“George,” I snapped as my eyes darted around the parking lot.  “Are you having me followed?”

“Always,” he said without regret, “but this time you fell right into my lap, figuratively speaking of course.  You would definitely know if you fell literally.”

I kept my lips in a hard line to keep from laughing at the man.  “I can’t believe you’ve had me followed,” I whispered, but in all honesty, I could.  My eyes darted towards Gabe.  That didn’t explain his last words though.  “What do you mean, I feel in your lap?”

“I can give you a demonstration of what that would feel like, but of course that would require about,” he paused, “fifteen minutes.”

My eyes stayed on Gabe, but began narrowing as he glanced away from me.  “I don’t want you here,” I mumbled, my attention elsewhere.  “I’m fine.  Don’t you think your men would have reported otherwise?”

“Phones are dangerous things,” he said with a smile in his voice.  “Meeting in person is much safer.  Plus, if you get into the car, drive five minutes north from your location; you will be at the place that sells the best burgers in the state.”

“I thought I was at the place that sold the best burgers in the state.”

George made a scoffing noise that had me smiling slightly.  “Some men just don’t know good food when it slaps them in the face.  Meet me there, Sweetie.  We have a lot to talk about.”

Knowing that if I didn’t go to him, he would come to me, I simply snapped the phone closed in answer.  I didn’t want to stay here, not where Hodge and Caroline were waiting inside.  They wouldn’t like the way my conversation with George would go, and to be honest, I didn’t think I wanted them to get involved.  It could get dangerous, and now that I finally realized I had a family, I didn’t want to lose them.

“Dee,” Gabe said in a quiet tone, making me glance at him.  “I can explain.”

With a smile that I wasn’t sure was real, I shrugged at him while walking towards the passenger’s door.  “You told me you would eat the burger if I took too long.”

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, I slipped into the car and slammed the door behind me.  There was a moment’s pause before the driver’s door opened and Gabe slid into the seat.  He turned the key, making the engine purr to life.  “I didn’t know you knew George.”

“You knew he worked for the agency before he went rogue.  What else do you know?”  Gabe glanced at me, but quickly looked away as he drove through the parking lot.  Before he could speak, I quickly gave him directions.  “North towards a burger place that is supposed to be to die for, and seeing as you ate my food…”

He smiled slightly, but instead of commenting on my missing burger, he answered my question.  “I don’t think Mitch knows he went rogue.  They think he’s dead, that he was killed by his partner in a mission.” Gabe looked at me for a moment, something flashing in his eyes.  “There were rumors that his partner found out he was selling information to the opposite team, and to keep the agency from torturing him, she shot him in the heart.”

“What’s the other rumor?”

The blinker clicked in the silent vehicle, and as soon as he pulled into the parking lot of another local burger place, Gabe parked and turned towards me.  “That they were more than partners, and when it came time for her to kill him, she couldn’t do it.  Instead, she helped him fake his death, allowing him to live the life he wanted without always looking over his shoulder.”  I opened my mouth, but before I could, he continued speaking.  “They say he tried convincing her to fake her own death, tried to convince her to leave with him, but she refused.  Why did she refuse?”

“Maybe when he tried to explain himself to her, when he said that Mitch simply wanted him dead because they were getting too close, not because he was a traitor, she didn’t believe him.”

“Dee,” he said quietly as he reached towards me. 

My hand curled over the door handle, and before he could touch me, I pushed the car door open.  “At least I guess you know which of the rumors are true,” I said as I jumped from the vehicle.  There was no hesitation this time, as he exited his side. 

Clicking the lock button on his eyes, he stared at me.  “I couldn’t tell you I worked for him.  Even if I wanted too, I couldn’t.  I owe him.  He got me away from Mitch when no one else would.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” I whispered as I circled the car.  “It does explain how you knew I wasn’t Dorothy.”

When I stood in front of him, a small smile flew onto his mouth.  “You were good.  I have to admit that.  I wasn’t even sure George was right until you asked about my tattoo.”

My hand reached down, grabbing his.  “You would have figured it out eventually,” I promised as I began tugging him towards the new diner.

He halted me, just as he had before, and this time, when he wrapped his arms around me from behind, I instantly leaned back into him.  “Same goes here, Dee.  Anytime you want to leave, let me know.”

“He’s your boss,” I argued, but as he pressed a kiss to my temple, my mouth quickly snapped closed.

“He may be my boss, but that doesn’t mean I can’t protect a,” he paused, “friend.”

Turning in his arms, I smiled up at him before standing on my toes.  With a quick peck to the side of his undamaged cheek, I stepped out of his arms.  “Come on.  I’m sure George will be here any moment.  I want to actually eat a burger this time, before we have to run from the room.”

He smiled at me, and instead of me tugging him into the diner, he was the one who led me through it.  “Come on.  I guess you’ll have to deal with second best in the state.”

By the slightly joking tone in his voice, I knew he wasn’t just talking about the burgers.  I laughed at his back, wondering how George would feel to be known as second best in the state.  Shaking my head at Gabe, I smiled.  Somehow, even with the things I learned today, I knew that it would be okay, just as long as Gabe stood by my side.